The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-16
AN OLD STORY TOLD AGAIN.
How Kate Shelley, in storm and Darkness,
Saved q Passenger Train.

Saved Passenger Train.
Newportv lille tPa.) Letter in Pittsburg Dispatch
To-day, at the house of a mutual friend, met
a nineteenth century herone-a young girl who
wears upon her breast massive gold medal that
was presented to ner by the Legislature OF the
State of Iowa some years ago, as
wonderful courage and presence of mind.
Tall. erect and well proportioned, with
her dark, bright eyes, rosy cheeks and clear-cut
features forming charming picture of strong,
true American wornanhood Kate Shelley, of
Boone. Ia. is girl that any father of any State
might be proud Of She is to-day twenty-five
years old, bu: she only sixteen when, by an
act of daring bravery, she won the admiration
and gratitude of the people of her native State
and made her name famous among them
About dark, on July 6, 1881, wind and rain
storm of unparalleled severity burst over Kate
Shelleys home in the country, near Honey creek
The Des Moines river six feet and every
creek over its banks in less than hour
The window of this brave girls com
manded a view of the Honey-creek railroad
bridge Peering out into the dark.
the vivid flashes of lightning which at frequent
intervals illuminated the scene. that houses,
barns, fences, lumber and everything portable
within reach of the flood had been carried away,
while the wind swept by with fearful and ever
increasing velocity, and the waters continued
quickly and steadily to rise.
Through the blackness and storm she
locomotive headlight advancing swiftly the
direction of the bridge which the food had
borne away. A second later and the light sud-
roaring of the wind and the water rendered it
impossible for her hear the frightful crash
it must have made she knew that a train
of cars had plunged into the abyss
There was no one at home beside herself save her
mother and her little brother and sister, and she
knew that if help was to be given to the suffer
ers and warning conveyed TO the engineer Of
the express train then nearly due, she must un-
dertake the awful task alone Throwing old
water proof about her shoulders. and hastily
lighting a lantern, she ventured forth in
70
above ali the roads and pathways to
the waters edge. and she soon realized that it
would be i'm possible to reach the wreck. She
must try some other plan. A steep. rocky bluff
led up to the track She began to ascend it.
With her clothes torn to rags and her flesh
lacerated by the thick growth of bushes. she at
last reached the rails. There still a small
portion of the bridge left. On her hands and
knees she crawled out on tie remaining ties to
the last one and holding on with one hand for
her life. she leaned over the water as far as she
could, and waving her lantern, cried at the top
of her voice
From the black gulf below there came in an
the faint accents of the engineer, who told
her it a freight train that had gone over
and that, though badly injured, he had saved
himself from drowning by crawling under some
broken tmbers. He believed that all the other
train hands had perished and advised her to
proceed at once to the nearest station, warn the
approaching express train of its danger and re-
turn with help for him.
Retracing her steps, the young heroine was
soon Fastening along the track with all the speed
she could make against the bowling tempest to-
wards Moingona, a small station about one mile
from Honey creek. To reach that point she had
to the high trestle bridge over the Des
Moines river, distance OF five hundred feet.
step upon the structure when a sudden and
appalling burst of thunder, lightning, wind
and rain nearly threw her over into
the water and at the same time extinguished her
light. Matches would have been powerless to
reight it in such a hurricane, even If she had
them and she was now unable to see even a
how dJc-1o OIL haf0r hor " a
flash of lightning revealed the raging waters be-
meath her, or the dark outline of the swaying
bridge to which she chung. Throwing away her
lantern, this dauntless American girl again
dropped on her hands and knees and thus made
her way through the darkness and storm from
tie to tie over the perilous trestle Reaching
firm ground again. she soon covered the short
remaining distance to the station breathlessly
told her story and then fell in dead faint at the
station agents feet
Succor was hastily dispatched to the suffering
engineer in Honey creek. kilograms went flying
up and down the line, notifying the railroad
officials that the bridge was gone.
Just one minute after the brave girl had
tainted, and while she still lay unconscious, the
express train came rushing in. When the pas
sengers learned of the awful accident from which
they had been saved by the indomitable courage
of fragile girl, loving hands took her up
tenderly, chafed the torn and bleeding limbs.
laved the palid face. and soon called her back to
life again. Then they collected for her sub
stantial purse.
When the fame of brave Kate Shelley's exploit
spread throughout her native State men and
women of all classes united to do her honor. Sew
eral subscriptions were started for her benefit,
and if money is ever adequate recomDeuse for
such heroism she has been we'll rewarded for her
brave conduct. The Legislature voted that
medal should be given her to commemorate her
daring act and appoln ted a special committee to
present it, her heroism being made the theme OF
many eloquent speeches.
On the day when she received the medal from
the hands of the legislative committee in the
town of Boone. Ia, the event was celebrated in
a manner which surpassed any previous public
demonstration held in that State A procession.
music speeches and banquet were features of
the occasion, on which not only the people of
her native State, but also many distinguished
guests from abroad united to do honor to brave
Kate Shelley.
An Onset.